We get right to the heart of the matter for a variety of clients delivering world-class creative and innovation work.
Jolby
An independent design studio that delivers world-class brand and illustration systems.
After a shift in leadership, Jolby had us work with them to sharpen their brand positioning, build financial intelligence, and assist in business planning and operations. By analyzing their books, team design, and pitch materials, we were able to find opportunities for solidifying the business as they moved into their next chapter.
Insight:
To make progress, make a plan.
To run a healthy team and studio, you need to make a yearly business plan. Setting objectives and defining key results is a critical part of this—but first you need to understand what you’re trying to measure and assess, and why.
Want to make your own plan? Try Compass, our yearly planning program.
“The best part of working with NoCo was the research and care put into discovering what was best for Jolby and me. It 1000% didn’t feel like a cookie-cutter solution, but something that was right for our studio at the crossroad we are at right now.”
– Josh Kenyon, Owner
Toy Fight
An independent digital innovation studio based in the UK that collaborates with brands and agencies to create memorable experiences.
We advised their founding partners across business, operations, and brand to prepare them for growth. From mindset shifts to tangible actions, we charted their path forward in how they go to market and nurture their team and practice for scale.
Insight:
Intentionally craft your team and your workplace.
The best thing you can do for your business is move from reacting to proactively planning. That means designing every facet of the org, including the structure you create, the roles on your team, and the opportunities for advancement.
“It can sometimes be hard to see beyond the day-to-day, but since we’ve worked with NoCo I am getting better at understanding the more medium to long-term aspects needed to make improvements to our business.”
– Leigh Whipday, Partner
Kamp Grizzly
An independent agency creating meaningful connections between the world’s best brands and the cultures they participate in.
Having achieved scale, Kamp Grizzly needed an innovation in their approach to career management. We developed a framework and roadmap for implementation, including culture-sensitive change management, and coached leadership in methods to carry it through.
Insight:
Change can be inspiring.
You have to believe that change is possible to make it possible. Then, you enlist others through thoughtful planning to make it possible together.
Plus and Greater Than
A design studio specializing in Narrative Places: exhibitions and installations activated by stories.
Through guided conversations, we zeroed in on the right kind of work and operating approach to take as they pursue the best projects for the practice.
Insight:
Your creative vision is your differentiator.
If you get distracted by shiny new objects in the market or try to be everything for everyone, you’ll end up being nothing for anyone. Instead, focus on the work you’re passionate about making. It’s the highest value work you can deliver—and prioritizing that is the best way to increase your rates and grow your business.
“NoCo helped us zoom out and think more strategically about what we’re really after as a studio. Their insights helped us re-shape our operations and process to reflect our values and give us the space to create our best work.”
– Traci Sym, Partner
Outlet
A beloved creative community space in Portland, Oregon, that’s part risograph print shop, part store, part illustration studio, part workshop & pop-up event space, and part zine library.
Through guided conversation, we untangled a complex set of services and clarified their purpose and relationship to one another. Recognizing distinct audiences, goals, and functions for each program gave structure to both the public offerings and the operations behind them.
Insight:
Create clarity for yourself and your community.
If you offer a broad range of services, make your offerings clear to both the audiences you’re trying to reach and to yourself, including in the way you track your finances and structure your systems.
“We were struggling with wrapping our heads around all of the different aspects of our business, how to conceptualize them, and how they related to each other. NoCo helped us not only organize our diverse offerings but also approach them with renewed vigor and optimism! It felt great to get a fresh perspective that was the perfect balance of realistic and hopeful.”
– Kate Bingaman-Burt and
Leland Vaughan, Owners
Architecting a New Offering
An integrated brand experience agency based in Portland, Oregon.
Years of execution in a sweet-spot of brand delivery had stagnated the project and client opportunities for this 23-year-old independent studio. After outlining an approach for visionary strategic business planning with the founder, we outlined the approach to determine opportunities for new offerings and detailed the plan to build it.
Insight:
Don’t scale in size while growing a new offering
Growth efforts should distinguish and prioritize between growing a new capability or increasing agency size. To establish a new offering, the team needs space to log wins and understand learnings. Don’t put the pressure of scale on a new offering before it’s good and ready.
